Come to the Healer

When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy[a] came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”  – Matthew 8:1-4 (KJV)

Because the Fall of Man has resulted in humans chronically committing sin, experiencing perpetual hardship, disease, and a diversity of pain, we are all in need of healing. Many do not identify this specific need; instead, we are simply aware of a desire to re-establish a comfortable state when discomfort arises. We seek to achieve comfort by whatever means are  easily accessible. Depending on a myriad of factors we may choose to settle in and concede to the pain or exhaust all the options we have identified to lessen or resolve it, if we can lay hold to even a moment of relief. Regardless of our limited awareness of the actual problem or the efficacy of our tactics we employ to make it go away, our longing for true healing persists deep within our souls until satisfied. 

At the start of Matthew 8, the Christ has just finished delivering the “Sermon on the Mount” and is descending the mountain. Masses are following Him and seemingly among the masses is a man with leprosy. Wait…WHAT?!?!?! Now, I don’t know a ton about biblical history or Hebrew laws and customs, but what I know for sure is people with leprosy being with other people who don’t have leprosy is a big no-no. I can only imagine people’s reaction when they discovered him not just in their company but approaching Jesus. Yet there is no indication in Matthew’s account of this event that the man is concerned with others’ opinion of his presence nor is he phased by the consequences of violating the law. He humbles himself in worship before the Lord. I am amazed by this man. As someone who has struggled with the fear of man and people pleasing, my primary goal for a great deal of my life has been to stay out of people’s way – do not impose, do not inconvenience, keep your head down, do what you’re supposed to do, and go back to your corner. This man is SO “in the way”; it is disconcerting to the part of me that is still in the healing process. At the same time, I get it. I understand his healing required him to be there.

So often, so many of us remain unhealed, isolated, in perpetual, debilitating pain, because we refuse to comply with what healing requires. How this man with leprosy approaches and speaks to Jesus is the fruit of faith. It seems that he came to Jesus, not just aware of his need to be healed, but already submitted to the healing he sought, ready to obey whatever Jesus told him to do. “If You are willing…” He was not going to allow any circumstance or person (not even himself) to hinder his being healed. He was already sure of Christ’s ability to heal. It would only depend on Jesus’s willingness to heal him. What if we came to the Healer ready for Him to declare what healing looks like and what it requires? What if we submitted to the One who surpasses our finite concept of healing, who knows our exact need and how to meet it before we even perceive we are in need? Maybe our relationships would be restored. Maybe we would be more fruitful. Maybe the intimacy our souls crave would be realized and be even more satisfying than we originally imagined because we are now whole and free to engage in community with authenticity and vulnerability. How fantastic would this be! 

Ok. Let’s be practical. This guy came to Jesus with an obvious issue. Sometimes, we have no clue what is going on with us or our family, friends, coworkers. We just know we do not like that we are angry, our family member is hurting, our coworker is struggling, etc. What should we do? What exactly is needed? We serve the God who sees, speaks and reveals the truth. We and those associated with us would greatly benefit if we would only ask Him our questions. Come to Him with what we do not know, what we think we have figured out. We can expect an answer, and the Holy Spirit will empower us to wait patiently for the Lord. Our God knows all and has all we need!

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. - Philippians 4:6

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:19

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. - 2 Corinthians 9:8

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.  – James 1:5

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come – John 16:13  

—Anyah E. R. White

True Obedience Is Complete

Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe.

O-B-E-D-I-E-N-C-E

Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe.

I learned this song in elementary school. Not only is it a cute song; it is a brilliant way to teach little ones to spell a big word.

As a kid I thought it was just a ploy to get kids to do what they were told. My skepticism has since been resolved by scripture, namely the words of Christ, God’s commands and covenant with Israel in the old testament, and the lives of the faithful throughout the Bible.

Jesus said to His disciples in John 14:15, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” God echoes this sentiment so many times throughout  the Bible. Obedience is a big deal to God. It is linked to punishment (Psalm 89:30-31), the (quality and length) thriving and sustaining of one’s life and the life of future generations (Proverbs 3:1-2; Deut. 5:9-10). In addition, obedience is a consequence or evidence of one’s love and  reverence for, and commitment to the Lord. 

An example of this that fascinates me is found in 1 Chronicles 21. David does something random and stupid, something the Lord never instructed him to do. Verse 1 of the chapter tells us that David was actually motivated by Satan! The result? “God was displeased and struck all of Israel”. All? Not just David? David was shook and repented immediately, yet God still insisted on punishment for David’s actions. Plot twist: God gave David options. David’s choice demonstrates his heart for, intimacy with, and knowledge of the Almighty. “I am in great distress; please let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man” (verse 13). Wow. Wait, there’s more. After submitting to God’s judgement on behalf of his house and all of Israel, God relents midway, and David petitions God to make David and his house the target of punishment. God has very specific instructions for David. How David obeys and expresses his understanding of the situation and his responsibility as a servant of the Lord and leader of a nation challenges me. 

After moving to obey God, David is offered the means to obey for free and he rejects it, stating, “Give me the site of this threshing floor, so that I may build an altar on it to the Lord. You shall charge me the full price for it, so that the plague may be averted from the people…No, I will certainly pay the full price; for I will not take what is yours for the Lord, nor offer a burnt offering which costs me nothing.” David could have received Ornan’s offer as a blessing from the Lord. True obedience is complete. It does not seem to be actual obedience if  we are seeking to avoid inconvenience or loss. Does our love, referential fear and trust toward the God of Heaven require our obedience? When I make decisions that inevitably affect my family, especially my children, am I prone to be momentarily grieved only to shrug it off because “kids are resilient”? Or do I understand my responsibility as a servant of the Lord and leader of littles to repent, watch for the Lord, and respond like David, submitted, obedient and open to retribution? Do I believe God? Do I know or have I experienced God’s goodness, justice, and glory to trust? Do you? Build the altar. Make the sacrifice. ‘Tis the only way.

—Anyah E. R. White

You are Near!

Psalm 119:151-152

But you are near, O Lord,

    and all your commandments are true.

Long have I known from your testimonies

    that you have founded them forever.

This Christmas season I am reveling in the nearness of God. God’s constant presence. God’s insistence on being with us since the beginning of time – His walking with Adam in the cool of the day, choosing Noah to build the ark, calling Abram out of Ur and making covenant with him and his descendants. Our Creator established covenants and altars to give us, His image-bearers, access to draw near and call upon their Creator. God also welcomes us to be with Him.

Though I want so desperately to respond to my Lord’s invitation with consistency and enthusiasm, I have a hard time allowing myself to be. The to-do list is too long, there are too many distractions, too much fear, too many concerns to manage and problems to fix – things on the verge of falling apart that I feel obligated to hold together. Still, God is near, here, now. My Father reminds me that He is holding me together, and, if I let go of the other stuff, He will hold those too (Colossians 1:17). He is our hope now for when the hard things we hold are not changing or maybe getting even harder.

Thankfully Christ, God donning flesh, was born and lived, teaching us how to be: how to be in solitude, how to be with God – present, honest, open, certain He was in need of all the Father had to offer; reverent, knowing the messiness of life on earth and the intensity felt within Himself (e.g. these things that we carry in our hands and hold in our souls) are welcome with Him in the presence of the Almighty; and how to be with others – those mourning and celebrating, in need and in abundance, children and aged, sick and whole. I do not see in Jesus’s life the daily, hourly, moment-to-moment urgency I often feel inside. I am grateful! What confirmation and relief this brings to us! We are not supposed to live this way. There is peace. 

“Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]” - John 14:27 (AMP)

In seasons when solitude eludes me and I don’t feel permitted to be still (no matter how much I actually need it), the Holy Spirit catches me chopping veggies, folding laundry, “I am here. I have been here. Do you not see?” In that moment I am reminded of answered prayer, promises in Scripture, needs met that I did not express, times I operated in knowledge I did not have before that instant and certainly did not come to of my own accord, times when the doorbell rang when I am barely holding on and someone who loves me was on my porch, peace and joy in chaotic parenting moments, and comfort and advocacy when the darkness closed in and profound grief seemed to overtake me. Our God, Emmanuel, is here, with us indeed!! Do you not see?

—Anyah E. R. White

Praise: for Victory, for Intimacy, for Eternity

Psalm 22:3 (ESV) “ yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel”

Sovereigns are enthroned. Sovereigns are not powerless over territory given to their charge. In fact, our Sovereign, the King of Glory has all power over heaven and earth — power to save, deliver, rescue, heal, change, remove, and put in place — and scripture says He is enthroned on the praises of His people! Our praise invites God to be where we are. God is everywhere. God’s omnipresence is one of His attributes that brings us such comfort; it’s true. When we praise God, however, we welcome God to be who God is where we are — to be Rescuer, to be Peace, to be Savior, Deliverer; to be Healer, to be Revealer, to be Restorer and Redeemer, to be King — to call the shots, to manifest His holiness and glory. I am not forgetting to acknowledge that the presence of God can be intimidating, overwhelming, even scary to experience, because God is holy and glorious. The weight of that isn’t bearable for mere mortals like us, and yet we were made for God, made for intimate relationship with God. Crazy tension for us to hold.  

Sometimes the presence of God can also be intimidating because of what is exposed. Unholiness is obvious in the presence of the Holy. Isaiah experienced this. Did Isaiah run or try to escape God’s presence? Nope. His unholy condition could not eclipse God’s glory. In response to being aware of his own uncleanness and the uncleanness of his people, Isaiah confessed it out loud and was offered cleansing (Isaiah 6:1-7). I wonder how many of us (and how often) we tend to ignore the power we wield in praise because within ourselves we are afraid of what may be exposed in God’s presence? Or how many of us have forgotten how to praise because pain and hardship have stolen our focus and energy? 

I pray that the Lord continues to reveal Himself to us, that our concept of Him expands to reflect the truth: our God is greater than the pain that distracts us from Him and more gracious than the shame that keeps us from boldly going before Him. We cannot afford long and frequent periods of life devoid of our actively engaging in praise to God. We forgo His presence. We cannot thrive this way. I think this is why Psalms 22, and so many others like it, bless my soul. David is not happy, yet he remembers and places God in the proper place, on the Throne, even as he endured hardship. Praise is beneficial at all times and prepares us for our ultimate end as believers in and followers of Christ:

“After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” And from the throne came a voice saying, “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.” “Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭19‬:‭1, 4-6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

—Anyah E. R. White

Cries for Deliverance: Musings on those without light and carriers of the Light

Here, I dwell in the dirge of an entire generation. I look in the eyes of the young, carrying the caskets, foreshadows of the impending doom, on their backs – untapped by the joys and affirmations that life often brings – walking the exhausted path of those who have gone before them; a path trodden with broken hypodermic needles, stained with blood. Its moisture evaporates into the air in the form of poverty, miseducation, desperation, and feeble hope and is, in turn, inhaled by those marching. No one has told them they are still living. I stand in the midst of the procession wanting desperately to yell, scream, pull one of them aside and tell them that, if I could, I would hold Life and Love in my hands and tell them to taste it. But I cannot. My voice and the blatant message it carries are silenced by my own fear. I sit cross-legged in a pothole within a pit. Why can I not muster the energy to climb two inches out of this dent in the gray concrete? More importantly, why am I here? The answer to this question is obvious: deliverance. This is their unspoken prayer, the unuttered groan within their soul.  

All is gray, not just the slabs of concrete – their clothes, the sky, every brick – nothing blooms. They live their lives burdened with failure, despair, and death, swaying and bopping to a rhythmic death march. I am a green figure veiled in the shadow of my ditch; therefore, I seem just as drab.  

I am not the only one in this state. There are many of us. We are a dissociated rainbow. Most are comfortably disturbed in their covert existences — residing in caves, skulking in alleys, and passively observing through window panes. A baby pushes a stroller carrying the fruit of her womb. She stumbles over me, and the unforgiving ground breaks her fall. She cries, and I cry. The reasons for our tears are both numerous and confusing, yet very different. “Help me!  Help me!”, she yells. The rainbow emerges from the shadows, if just momentarily, and calls relentlessly for help, banging on windows, yelling around even darker corners, “Somebody, help her! Help her!” We are the help.

We are messengers of the Light, couriers of the promise of Love and Life, Peace and Deliverance. But who will deliver us, save the Deliverer?

Join me in offering prayers and praises to the only One who can save from deception and hopelessness – the Mighty God, Maker of Heaven and Earth, Matchless King of Glory and Lord of Hosts –who rescues and delivers, shields, heals, and fights for us. We all need the light of His glorious presence where we are restored to and discover our original purpose in the fullness of joy. We were all created for the Creator. Let us wait expectantly to see and learn even more of our Lord and King as we participate in the lives of those we are assigned to in our communities.

—Anyah E. R. White

Rejoicing and the Presence of God

Have you ever sat to rest and thoughts of a current challenge, concern or hardship were invaded by thoughts of God’s goodness, faithfulness and power? It’s been happening to me a lot lately. Something inside of us is intrigued when reminded of the realities of God’s nature. The energy stirred by thoughts of our Creator and King’s steadfast love, kindness, might and consistency eventually comes out of my body in some way – tears, raised hands, audible words of gratitude, a dance, a song of praise – rejoicing with resolve to trust and obey. 

I admit the rejoicing gets a little embarrassing and seems random at times. I know these thoughts preceding rejoicing are certainly not random; what I feel compelled to do in response often seems to be. The embarrassment is definitely a fear response, an internal attempt to protect myself. Oddly enough, embarrassment also centers self which is the opposite aim of the invading thoughts of God that are clearly a grace to center the Holy One, instead of me or my circumstances. The Holy Spirit is empowering us to obey the Word of God’s command to “rejoice in the Lord always!” (Philippians 4:4). In these precious moments, faith and hope are activated, joy is restored, and we are delivered from our desperate state, whether or not our circumstances change. 
It’s like the Holy Spirit acknowledges our despair, exhaustion, fear, frustration, confusion, etc. (Psalm 34), and the strength of the Master of the Universe is made perfect right there in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). An accompanying reality tough for me to come to grips with is that we are still weak after God shows up. God’s strength and our weakness, God’s joy and our despair seem to be held in this redemptive tension that occasionally makes me very uncomfortable yet is still so good. We are being made perfect, and God shows up in all perfection — Holiness and Glory…AWEsomeness. Hallelujah! This is joy. God’s presence. (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭16‬:‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬)

—Anyah E. R. White

Companionship:...With God?

I am blessed with brilliant, fierce, life-giving friends who are fun, lovers of God and others, and full of grace and wisdom – just my favorite kind of human. We trust each other, care for each other and each other’s families. We have opened our hearts and homes to share and hold space, to bear witness and celebrate; support, comfort and encourage; to warn and push. We hold each other’s secrets. We honor each other’s sanctuaries and are welcomed inside, free to ask questions, declare truth or disrupt – all in and by way of LOVE. They are my people. I am allowed to be messy, awkward, desperate, and undone; and so are they. I can be funny, irreverent, expressive, and brave; so can they. We have not only witnessed so much of each other’s life but entered in and experienced together – college and grad school graduations, new jobs and first homes, loss of grandparents, marriages, babies – mundane daily routines sprinkled throughout high highs and deep dark lows. Their companionship is safe and fulfilling. God has and is currently using our friendship to help me walk in the freedom He has won for me. My relationship with them satisfies a basic human need. I was intrigued to read David’s similar description of God’s companionship. 

The secret [of the sweet, satisfying companionship] of the Lord have they who fear (revere and worship) Him, and He will show them His covenant and reveal to them its [deep, inner] meaning. – Psalm 25:14 ( AMP)

We can have companionship with God! Amazing! (And daunting at the same time). What does it take? How is it maintained? How do we contribute? I just kept reading Psalm 25 over and over again and the chapters around it looking for clues. Thankfully I think David gives clues and helps answer these questions. I know there has to be more. This is just what has been uncovered before me so far. David starts by saying in verse 1, “Unto you, O Lord, do I bring my life. O my God, I trust, lean on, rely on, and I’m confident in You”. We can keep showing up, bringing our whole selves, responding to God’s permanently extended invitation to His presence and being honest about everything, every time. 

I know we do not have the capacity to hold space for God’s infinite vastness like we may hold space for one another. Praise God that God invites us into His presence. There we have the opportunity to renounce our limiting thoughts and expectations for the purpose of “allowing” God to occupy that space…His space…ALL space and be, however HE chooses, even if it makes us uncomfortable, scared, confused, offended. We can be curious about Him, His ways, and His manner of being rather than insist that God resume occupying our tiny God boxes. I think David may have been learning to do this. Psalm 24:3-6 says, “Who shall go up into the mountain of the Lord? Or who shall stand with him in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart does not lift it up himself to falsehood…he shall receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of those who seek him who seek your face, Oh God of Jacob. Selah,” and Psalm 26:8, “Lord I love the habitation of Your house, and the place where Your glory dwells.” Oh to be with our Glorious God, in friendship!

—Anyah E. R. White

Rest

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Exodus 20:8

Rest is hard sometimes. I am constantly noticing this struggle around us. I have personally struggled really badly with resting this year. As believers in Jesus, we are to submit to God in our work and in our rest. As I grow, I am realizing that I have “done my best” to submit my work to God rather than submit to God in my work. We know our best isn’t good enough. Our righteousness is like filthy rags, right? What we think is right, what we think is good is not necessarily what God declares right and good. So often we commit personal best to do what we perceive our responsibilities to be, in our own strength. No wonder we find ourselves in weird cycles of unpunctuated work, exhaustion, and numbing, feeling like we are failing! Scripture clearly tells us to trust in the Lord and in the power of HIS might (Ephesians 6:10), not ours. We believe that our work is unto the Lord, for this glory. However, I think a nasty lie, a perversion of this truth, can sometimes slip into our minds, leading us to believe that we must “work for the Lord”, for His approval, for His pleasure, and for our satisfaction. Our “sacrifices” of postponing rest, forgoing stillness, and solitude are not just unhealthy; they do not glorify God. 

Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy. There is an entire commandment dedicated to rest. Our Father takes rest very seriously. Just as we do not get to determine what constitutes good, profitable work; we do not get to define rest. What rest looks like for us as citizens of the Kingdom of God, collectively and individually, is dictated by the King. Set the day apart! It is sacred! God declares it so. 

We were challenged in this week’s sermon to ask God a pertinent question when seeking Him about our calling: What are You doing? How can I help? We don't know what we are supposed to be doing with our lives, what work is truly right and good and profitable, glorifying God, until we seek the Lord. In the same way, we don’t know good rest unless we are directed by Him and obey His instruction. 

The Israelites had a Sabbath issue. In Isaiah 58, God graciously tells them His heart for Sabbath and for service to others to redirect them from ritual and tradition to Glory and Holiness. This issue keeps coming up for me too. Sabbath is a discipline yet to be formed in me. If I am completely honest, I am becoming frustrated with myself. The past month I have been focused on a growing to-do list, people and projects vying for my attention and effort. People are in need of love and support. The projects need to get done. I firmly believe that I have been led by God to help and do. Where I have not been led by the Lord is in how to recover and refresh from that work. Most times I just keep it moving because, you know, life is “lifeing”. Our Creator worked to wield the universe into existence by His Word then rested on purpose. God is good. Everything God does is good. God is perfect. Everything God does is perfect. God is glorious. Everything God does is glorious. God RESTED. Rest is good and glorifying to God when it is led and informed by the Glorious. I encourage you to join me in inquiring of the Lord about our rest. I have crashed and burned multiple times this year already because I didn’t do this. Thankfully, I only crashed this week (no burn). I’m not so quick to pick up the pieces this time, though. I am not running to sweep up the mess and resume my regularly scheduled programming. I am being as still as I can, even asking God: Is this stillness still enough? Am I quiet enough? Is my environment quiet enough? What needs to be turned off, shut down? I am desperate to obey because disobedience is causing suffering I don’t think God intends. 

God commands rest. I am now, while writing this, realizing that because God commands rest, rest should be planned and guilt free. Rest from holding and juggling all the things, carrying the mental load of households and organizations; rest from mindless scrolling and Netflix; rest from jumping from one crisis to the next. The practice of Sabbath is of God and is done to the glory of God. Inquire of the Lord and Rest well, friends. 

—Anyah E. R. White

Generations of GOD’S Faithfulness

As a new parent, I often think of the kind of legacy I desire to build for our child(ren). I have been challenged and intimidated by the multifaceted nature of legacy. I consider my parents and grandparents — the values, rituals, standards, character traits, wealth, habits, and worldview they have left to subsequent generations. Both what I hold dear from them now and what I am working to let go have me asking: What is worth passing along? What needs to be reconstructed? Amended? What should be built anew? The Holy Spirit currently has me considering two leaders in the Bible and their successors: Moses and Joshua, David and Solomon. (I say the Holy Spirit  because I know I would not have gone looking for this on my own). 

Moses cultivated an intimacy with God that Joshua caught onto. When Moses went to meet with God at the tent of meeting, Joshua went too. When Moses left the tent, Joshua would not leave God’s presence (Exodus 33). David pursued the heart of God, and his son Solomon sacrificed and sought the Lord first after being instructed to build the temple and crowned king of Israel (1 Chronicles 28-2 Chronicles 1). 

I’m amazed at how such a legacy of intimacy with and obedience to God translates to Joshua’s and Solomon’s own conversations with God and their respective addresses to God’s people (Joshua 1; 2 Chronicles 6). Each has generations of God’s demonstrated faithfulness, love, and power to stand on as he talks to God and to Israel. In Solomon’s dedication of the temple (2 Chronicles 6), he notes his father’s history with God and God’s promises to David along with Israel’s history with God — God’s deliverance from Egypt and His covenant with Israel. Similarly, God promised to be with Joshua just as He had been with Moses. When commanding the Israelites to ready themselves to cross the Jordan into the promised land, Joshua spoke with confidence to the people, recalling God’s instruction and promises given by Moses. 

I want our children and our children’s children to have this kind of history with God — to have parents and grandparents, and even great grandparents, who have journeyed with God and testify of God’s faithfulness, steadfast lovingkindness, power, glory, dominion, and sovereignty. I want us to be people who walk faithfully with the Lord, students of The Word, pursuers of truth, contending in prayer and worship, friends of God, meditators on God’s goodness with good deeds executed in the power of the Kingdom flowing from a flourishing intimate relationship with the Almighty. Yea, generations of that…all that. 

Father, make our deep and broad knowledge of You the consequence of a deeply intimate relationship with you. May our children and grandchildren learn this from us and be the best versions of themselves, not because they’ve worked so hard to know and love themselves, but because they know You like Moses and David did. Show them and tell them who You are; You draw them to Yourself. Bring them to bask in Your presence so they desire nothing else more than You. Amen. 

—Anyah E. R. White

Look What the Lord Has Done!

The lyrics of a song I grew up hearing in church have been on repeat in my mind.

He has done marvelous, 

He has done marvelous things. 

Praise the Lord!

I remember the choir repeating these two sentences over and over again in ascending octaves, and the congregation becoming more and more excited clapping, swaying, singing along in response. With this image in mind, how beautiful would it be if more of our conversations with one another were like this? Children of God testifying of God’s goodness and declaring His greatness to one another, telling of His good deeds and mighty acts, reflecting on God’s awesomeness, His unfailing and steadfast love toward us, His rescue, and healing. ‭‭The effect? As one testifies and exalts the Lord, the hearts of others are gladdened, and they join in to tell of God’s goodness and greatness too. 

Psalms‬ ‭34‬:1-‭4 ( ‭AMP‬‬) says, 

“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; The humble and downtrodden will hear it and rejoice. O magnify the Lord with me, And let us lift up His name together. I sought the Lord [on the authority of His word], and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears.” 

It inspires glee in me to think that David is essentially saying, “Hey! I’m praising God all the time; I can’t help myself (Vs 1). Something cool happens when I do (Vs 2). Y’all come do it with me (Vs 3)! I’m going first: Look what the Lord has done (Vs4)!” Have you ever felt that way? Has God been good or mighty in your circumstance and you could not contain yourself?

David often expresses his commitment and irresistible urge to praise and testify in the Psalms. Psalms‬ ‭9‬:‭1‬ (‭AMP) “I will give thanks and praise the Lord, with all my heart; I will tell aloud all Your wonders and marvelous deeds,” ‭‭‬‬ and Psalms‬ ‭107‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭(AMP) “O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His compassion and lovingkindness endure forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary,” ‭are just a couple more examples. I am encouraged and my heart is stirred up with joy every time I read these Psalms. I guess that is to be expected. “The humble and downtrodden will hear it and rejoice.” Christ also told some people He delivered to tell what He had done for them, like the demonized man of Gerasenes in Mark 5 and Luke 8. 

“Return home and tell [about] all the great things God has done for you.” So the man went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.” ‭‭(Luke‬ ‭8‬:‭39‬ ‭AMP)‬‬

The funny thing is that other times Jesus explicitly told people not to tell anyone what He did for them, but they could not help themselves! Even Paul, while admonishing the Ephesians to be imitators of God, instructed them to “speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, [offering praise by] singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks to God the Father for all things, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” (Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭AMP‬‬). 

I am so excited to share more time with others telling of God’s awesomeness and goodness. Aren’t you? I’m praying for it. “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.” (Deuteronomy 10:17-18) Our God has done and continues to do marvelous things. Praise the Lord! He is worthy!

— Anyah E. R. White

A Cheat Code to Worship and Honorable Living

Shout it aloud, do not hold back.

    Raise your voice like a trumpet.

Declare to my people their rebellion

    and to the descendants of Jacob their sins. 

For day after day they seek me out;

    they seem eager to know my ways,

as if they were a nation that does what is right

    and has not forsaken the commands of its God…

Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please 

and exploit all your workers.

Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,

    and in striking each other with wicked fists.

You cannot fast as you do today

    and expect your voice to be heard on high. (Isaiah 58:1-2, 3b-4)

I enjoy seeking the Lord. Don’t you? We all do. Time in praise, thanksgiving and prayer; time studying the Scriptures, allowing the truth of God’s Word to wash over you, basking in the fullness of joy only found in the presence of Almighty God; when someone calls to you from the other room. This kept happening to me.  Sometimes the momentary disruption is no big deal. Other times, I experienced it like nails sliding across a chalkboard. A wave of irritation comes upon me, and I think, “How dare you disrupt my ‘me time’ with Jesus?”. My response is dishonorable, snippy, and bubbling with sarcasm. I have noticed this is my reaction more times than I care to admit. I’m sure this is just me. 

For so long I thought the desire to seek and to eagerly pursue God’s presence and blessing was all that I needed. Do the right things, check the spiritual boxes then good results follow – right standing with God. It seems that is what Israel thought too. The Almighty tells them that they were mistaken. God commands Isaiah to not be shy; yell the people’s sin out, tell them their piety does not make them right with God! Wow. Can you imagine generations religiously engaging in rituals outlined in the Law – feasts, fasts, sacrifices – doing all of these good things only for God to say, “Hey, you are still in rebellion. Listen to all the sins you have committed against Me. Coming to me with all this religious stuff does not absolve you,”? I was initially stunned and discouraged reading this. 

Is it wrong to enjoy and receive the benefits of praising God, being in God’s presence, reading and gleaning from the Word of God, giving, serving, volunteering, praying? No, of course not. All of these things are good behaviors that we as followers of Christ should want to do. The problem seems to lie in the reason behind the actions. We need to ask Holy Spirit about ourselves. Am I doing this to honor God or to please myself? From a sincere heart in pursuit of His heart or to be impressive and prove my worthiness? According to verse 4, we can tell by the fruit. Israel’s fasting resulted in continued fighting and exploitation of others! My devotional time ended with my bad attitude toward the person who disturbed me. Thankfully, God continues to be gracious and gives Israel the cheat code of what it looks like to honorably approach Him (and each other) and favorable outcomes when they do it His way (v. 6-12). 

The truth is, if we are truly honoring God with our lives of worship and service, there should not be strife between us. If we are seeking The Kingdom of God first as Christ instructs His disciples in Matthew 6:33 then the good, right, wholesome, and fulfilling outcomes follow. Our relationships reflect the oneness of the Godhead; we live peaceably with one another; our thoughts toward each other are lovely and virtuous. May we repent and lay aside our way, our preferences, and presumptions of what is right and good to take up the way of our Lord.

—Anyah E. Reed

Growing Pains

I thought slowing down, living at a slower pace, was the key to intentional living and loving. It certainly helps to hold space for those many common and precious moments of solitude and frequent meaningful interactions with loved ones. Seasons of slowness are important, valuable. I did not find what I was looking for in slowness alone though. Another integral component? Vigilance. I was certain I had that because I was observant and noticed nuances in interactions that no one else would call out. I was openly curious, in real time. But in all of the relational skills I had developed there was still stuff I could not understand. I was frustrated in relationships. I knew I was missing something. I remember thinking, “I need new, different perspective and/or more information. That will solve the problem and give me more understanding.” That did not solve the problem. The problem was the lens I was seeing my life, my interactions and relationships through. The lens was my own, confined to my finiteness as a creature of this world. 

I was not truly aware of what God was doing, how God was leading. This was the missing piece. Even with all of my observing, I was blind to what actually mattered – the major key. So my conversations with my Creator and Father changed to, “Show me what You see when You see me, this other person(s), our relationship. Bring me into a better understanding of those You have given me to love”. My Abba started gently revealing what I could not see, what I did not know about people I love and about me (the me part was a little annoying, stung a little). Thankfully the growth is ongoing. I have not always been grateful for the process. A significant part of me would much prefer it to be a one-and-done situation, but learning to be in relationship with one another the way God created us to be in relationship is lifelong. It has to be.

My most recent growing pain was indeed painful. I sustained a serious injury in a seemingly random and bizarre way. God met me in the pain. He is still here with me, gently granting insight into the events that led to the injury. It has been a not-so-instant replay – a breakdown of the thoughts and motivation behind my actions. In this process, God has brought two truths to the surface for me: 

1) It is not about me (the human). It is about the Divine and what our Creator wants for me, for us.   

I was operating from what I thought was good, honorable, loving and noble and believed that my choices aligned with God’s intent.

2) Do not doubt that The Almighty has given me power and authority over the enemy. When I addressed Satan’s devices, they were no longer in play. The patterns of my flesh, however, that were being leveraged by the enemy are still in play.

I was floored. The first thought that crossed my mind when I was finally settled in the ER was, “Satan, you suck”. It wasn’t even him. It was me. This actually made me more angry. Un-crucified parts of my flesh are keeping me from loving/living well, and I was hurt as a result.

All this was on my mind and heart as our family entered Sunday’s worship service, and God met me again. There was a gentle weightiness my soul recognized as a safe place to humble my whole self, be still, listen, receive, clumsily obey (because that’s what I do), and wait for the not-so-instant replay. I pray this is all of our experience – that God is meeting us, granting His sufficient grace as we submit to growing in love. 

—Anyah E. Reed